


Pine isn't only a type of tree

by BiJane



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/F, Fluff, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-26 05:52:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18176687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiJane/pseuds/BiJane
Summary: In which both Kara and Nia have it bad and try not to be too obvious.





	1. Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> Hi these two are far too cute thank you.

The wind rushed past, whistling in her ears as they flew. The world looked so small under them, or it would have if she had been looking. Instead Nia screwed her eyes shut and curled up against Kara’s shoulder.

It wasn’t that she was scared of heights. Well, not particularly, but being as high as an airplane and out in the open where she could feel the air speeding past would give anyone a touch of nerves.  

Though Supergirl’s arms were certainly somewhat comforting. She wasn’t afraid of falling, she just didn’t want to be reminded of how far away the ground was.

Until they came down in National City. Nia half-fell out of Kara’s arms, stumbling slightly, ears ringing. It still felt like the world should have been moving; Kara quickly caught her arm in case she was about to fall.

“You ok?” Kara said.

“Yeah,” Nia said. “Just… Are you sure the ground’s solid?”

“Pretty sure,” Kara said. “Training again tomorrow?”

“Looking forward to it!” Nia said. She managed a grin, still unsteady. “Remind me to bring a warmer jacket next time.”

“You were cold? You should’ve said,” Kara said. “I’m sure I could have found something. You could have borrowed my cape, or just gotten hugged, would’ve helped.”

“Ah, no! It’s fine,” Nia said. “Really fine. Thanks for flying me there though, and for training.”

“Always, you’re doing great,” Kara said. “I-”

She paused suddenly, gaze losing focus. Nia knew that look by now; she was listening to something far away. Almost instantly Kara’s expression shifted to something apologetic.

“Got to go?” Nia said.

“Kinda,” Kara said. “See you?”

“See you!” Nia said. She watched as Supergirl leapt off, the sheer force of her leap sending a gust of wind to slightly ruffle her hair.

Then Nia turned around. She walked slowly, still getting back her balance, back into her apartment building and then her apartment. She opened the door, walked inside and walked to the sofa.

Slowly she sat down, stared forwards for a long few seconds, then buried her head in her hands.

“Urgh, Nia,” she murmured to herself. “Get attainable crushes sometime. _Please_.”

* * *

She didn’t know how she was meant to focus on work. Even with the most interesting article in the world to write (and she did like her latest assignment), focus was a challenge. Part of her still constantly insisted that sleep would be so much nicer, part of her was buzzing from the prospect of training with Supergirl again, and then there was Kara.

Kara, sitting just a few desks away. She didn’t seem to have any problem working. Then again she did have the advantage of thinking and acting at superspeed, so that was a little unfair.

Kara was typing, sometimes pausing to look back and squint at what she’d done. Every few seconds she pursed her lips, then either typing on or going back to rewrite. She looked focused, dedicating all her attention to the article.

Unlike Nia, meanwhile, who was too busy thinking about her co-worker. Catching herself, Nia forced herself to turn back…

To the blank page on her computer screen. She mentally sighed.

She’d done the preparation, interviewed, taken notes, putting it all into an article should have been the last step. Everything she wanted was right there. How alien cultures were influencing an upcoming fashion show, how the norms of other species had inspired designers. There was a lot there she found interesting.

Ok. Nia took a deep breath and managed her first sentence, before glancing back at her notes.

On the journey from her computer screen to her notes however, her eyes passed over Kara and she faltered again. She was chewing on the back of a pen, perhaps unconsciously, doing a slightly worrying amount of damage to the plastic while she wrote.

After a few moments Kara stopped chewing, then glanced down at her pen. Her eyes widened and she hastily crushed it in one hand and slipped it into the bin under her desk. Nia couldn’t help but giggle slightly at her expression.

No, stop it Nia, you were being creepy! Don’t stare!

Urgh. On one hand she was fairly sure she was far from the only person in National City with a crush on Supergirl. On the other hand, most people didn’t know who she was and have to work across from her.

Try not to think about it.

Just focus on the article. She’d seen Rann inspired designs prominently, and heard the perspective of natives from that world. If she closed her eyes she could imagine it perfectly. If she just… closed her… eyes…

“Nia?”

Yelping, Nia hastily sat up straight, swaying a little. Kara was standing over her, a little concerned.

Damn it, she’d drifted off again. She blinked a few times while turning her attention back to her computer. Still just the introductory sentence, not the best going.

“Are you ok?” Kara said. “Do you need a break, or…”

“Oh, no, it’s just the usual,” Nia said, a little nervously.

“I can probably get you an extension if you need it,” Kara said.

“I’ll manage,” Nia said. “Not let it get in the way before, at least.”

“Alright,” Kara said. She grinned. “I believe in you. Good luck!”

“Thanks,” Nia said.

Her voice came out as a slight squeak. Thankfully Kara didn’t seem to notice, and as she returned to her desk Nia turned her attention more fully to the article.

Ok. She could do this.

* * *

“Uh, Brainy?” Nia said.

Brainy quickly glanced around the empty break room, as though paranoid someone was going to leap out from behind a chair. After a moment more her turned back to Nia.

“Barney,” he said quietly.

“We’re alone,” Nia said.

“You can never be too careful,” Brainy said.

She hesitated. Apparently he was serious; shrugging it off, Nia relented.

“Barney,” she said. Changing the topic suddenly seemed a lot harder. “If I tell you something, can you… keep a secret?”

“Absolutely,” Brainy said. “I can arrange to erase something from my mind temporarily or permanently, so that even I would not know I was keeping it secret. Is there something I can help you with, Nia Nal?”

She wasn’t sure whether she’d have preferred him to say ‘no.’ Uncertainly, Nia glanced around the empty room again; the walls were glass, but muted sound. And even if they didn’t Kara was off doing Supergirl things, which just left her and Brainy to talk.

She’d wanted to talk to someone. That was a given, and out of everyone he’d seemed like the best choice. Ok, he was strange, but his heart always seemed to be in the right place.

Not that she knew what she expected to achieve, but just getting it out in the open would be nice. Someone could talk her through it, and hopefully that would count as closure.

Then again, she wasn’t wholly convinced that Brainy was the best person to come to for romantic advice.

“So,” Nia said, and hesitated. “Kara’s great.”

“Is that a secret?” Brainy said.

“No, just,” Nia said. She paused again. “Ok. So. Hypothetically, let’s say there was someone who… liked Kara.”

“Ok,” Brainy said earnestly. “Oh! You mean- I’m listening.”

“And… it’s ridiculous, right?” Nia said. “Liking a superhero. It’s just cliché, and it’s not like a superhero would pick, well… And even if they did, how are you even meant to make it work? One person’s the huge, world-famous success, who’d compare to that? It’s not worth thinking about is it?”

“Ah, I see,” Brainy said. “So this… hypothetical friend of yours is worried about the intimidation involved in a potential, hypothetical relationship with a hypothetical superhero?”

Nia took a moment to mentally unpack what he said.

“I think so,” she said. “Yeah. That sounds about right.”

“Certainly a concern,” Brainy said thoughtfully. “But I think Kara’s faced a lot in the past few years, the unorthodox nature of a relationship likely wouldn’t be a prime concern for her.”

“I…” Nia began. “I thought you’d tell me it was ridiculous. If you agreed it’d be easier to put it behind me.”

“Should I have?” Brainy said. He hesitated. “She is a ‘superhero’ as well, and she has never struck me as someone who’d exhibit any kind of professional jealousy, I don’t think you have to worry about much on that count.”

“What?” Nia said. “I wasn’t, huh- wait.”

It took her a moment to re-evaluate what he was saying; he regarded her, slightly confused.

“Wait, why would Kara be intimidated by _me_?” Nia said.

“Well you are Nia Nal,” he said. “You- uh- Ah. I think I made a miscalculation. I emphatically cannot continue this discussion. Good day!”

Looking almost panicked, Brainy turned away. Nia watched him, utterly bewildered and with the distinct feeling that this conversation hadn’t helped matters nearly as much as she’d hoped.

What was he talking about? Ok, sure, he’d let slip that she apparently had a descendant that was a semi-big deal (and she had a lot of questions about _that_ which probably weren’t getting answered for a while), but Kara was Supergirl. There was no way even her descendant could compare, right?

Yeah. Brainy was… well, he was Brainy, somehow simultaneously incredibly smart and totally clueless. She could just forget about that discussion.

Go back to having a good old fashioned unattainable crush, that might be easier.

She did not want to even try unpacking what Brainy had implied.

* * *

She didn’t know whether or not she was looking forward to training. She was getting used to the prospect of being a hero, and of course she loved the time she could spend in the Fortress of Solitude, but being around Kara was getting…

No, she wasn’t going to be one of those people that got an unrequited crush and immediately ruined what they had. It didn’t change how much fun Kara was to be around, it just made it… more pronounced. Yeah, that was a good word for it.

Moments where, before, she might have smiled now made her heart burn as it struggled to hold everything in.

“You ok?” Kara murmured.

They were already flying through the air. Held this close to Supergirl, Nia could feel the heat radiate from her; it was enough to keep her warm despite the frozen environment they were heading to.

Still she screwed her eyes shut. As much as she’d have liked getting to see the vast icy crystalline Fortress from a distance, it wasn’t worth getting the wind in her face for.

“I can hear your heart,” Kara said gently. “Do want me to go lower?”

Nia squeaked. Downsides to crushing on Supergirl.

“N-no,” Nia said. She gave a fake-sounding laugh. “Just… excited to get to it.”

“You’re sure?” Kara said.

Her voice was soft, her lips close. And- Damn it, now Nia could hear her heart hammering away.

She opened her eyes a crack. Kara was peering at her, concerned, her face filling Nia’s vision. It was hard to focus on the wind.

“S-sure,” Nia said, staring. “I’m ok.”

“You know you can tell me if it bothers you,” Kara said. “It’s fine.”

“I know,” Nia said. “Not used to being this high, but I’m ok.”

“Ok,” Kara said. She hesitated. “Let me know if anything changes.”

Somehow Nia wasn’t sure her heart would be slowing down any time soon.


	2. Longing

 

It was something of a joy to see Nia train. Any time Kara could watch someone do something they were good at, she enjoyed it, but Nia was unique.

She was with Kelex just then, playing an improvised game of tag, the robot moving swiftly and silently around the room. Nia kept up with it perfectly, tapping it almost as fast as she could move despite the fact she couldn’t see, and the moment Kelex darted elsewhere she touched it again.

Kara still hadn’t worked out exactly how that worked. Whether Nia had seen all this in her dream at the start of the day, whether she was dreaming after a fashion behind that blindfold, or if her instincts were just precognitive.

Whatever it was, it was impressive.

Kelex stopped moving for a moment; Nia faltered, halfway through lunging somewhere else before realising it wasn’t there. She quickly caught herself and moved back, but she was noticeably more hesitant.

Probably a good time to step in. Kara hopped down, making sure her landing was audibly.

“Nicely done,” Kara said.

“I missed one,” Nia said.

“You just need to trust yourself,” Kara said. “You were doing great! Kelex just caught you out, but now you know how that happened you’re prepared.”

“Did feel wrong when I moved,” Nia said. She smiled. “Thanks.”

Kelex lifted up gratefully, floating off back into the Fortress. Kara watched him leave for a second; some day she was going to work out what it actually did all day.

Then she turned her attention back to Nia.

Oh, this wasn’t fair on her… Kara quickly schooled her expression, reminding herself that she was still teaching Nia. She should keep this professional. Nia shouldn’t need to worry about anything else.

“Do you want to head back now?” Kara said. She hesitated. “Or you could rest here, you look like you deserve a break. Most of the rooms are further in but I’m sure we can find something.”

“I-it’s fine, I can relax in your arms,” Nia said, and then promptly squeaked. “Flying! I mean when we’re flying!”

“I-I know,” Kara said.

She tried not to think too much about that. Be professional! She didn’t have to read anything into Nia wanting to be flown back to National City, and it was hardly fair for her of all people to judge someone for awkward phrasing.

“Remind me to bring a warmer jacket next time,” Nia said.

* * *

Liking someone was fine, Kara was used to that. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t liked girls before. Liking someone that she was trying to mentor though just felt like it overcomplicated matters, and in her experience superhero dating was complicated enough as it was.

They were both adults, both perfectly rational, but that didn’t mean she should just make their training awkward.

Sometimes flying cleared her head. Taking off and leaving the ground behind, thinking about nothing but the wind rushing past her and the clouds that drifted by around her.

Things were so much simpler up here. There was no complexity, nothing but drifting aimlessly, a million sounds that all went together and composed a symphony of nothing. If she didn’t focus, she could imagine people weren’t hurting.

She couldn’t get to everyone. It was one of the harder lessons she’d had to learn; she felt a pang at that. Nia would have to learn the same someday.

Though Nia would have her, Kara promised herself that. Just as she’d had Alex, and Clark.

Clark. She’d spoken with him a few times; Superman worked alone despite all the other heroes he’d run into over the years. Well, alone might not be the right word, Lois invited herself often enough, but he had nothing that compared to the group Kara had.

She’d asked him about that, and apparently this was why. Being Superman was simple.

Maybe simple was the wrong word. He still had to listen out, he still had to save people, but that was clear-cut. Don’t let people die, don’t let people get hurt. Clear. Easy.

He tended to avoid the government and politics; he’d had a brief stint campaigning against nuclearization but it hadn’t lasted. That side of things he left to Clark Kent.

Kara hadn’t been able to hold back like that. She’d said he admired his restraint; he said he admired her strength. Superman was a break, a chance to leave behind all the greys and ambiguities and to say that it didn’t matter, this was good and this was bad and he would fight for good.

Nothing more complex than saving lives. It didn’t matter whose.

Teaching someone the same, that was where it got trickier; working with someone meant it was suddenly less clear. There were other views to account for, other factors beyond the refreshing simplicity.

Then again maybe that was why people liked Superman. He gave people hope that there was such a thing as pure, untarnished good.

She just wanted to give hope that even if there wasn’t, the world could be better.

Which all came back to Supergirl, wearing the cape and trying to carry on the same kind of life she might have had as Kara Danvers. She’d had friends at the DEO who’d never known her human identity, she’d had allies, and now she had Nia.

Nia.

She knew who she wanted to talk to when things like this happened, it was just more complicated now.

She wanted to be there for Nia throughout every second of her journey. That had never been in question, she wanted to see Nia’s triumphs and wanted to comfort her after the less fun parts.

Everything a mentor should do, and she was looking forward to it. She felt it with a passion she hadn’t expected, just imagining each time she’d seen that excited grin on Nia’s face whenever she used her powers, or her bouncing around almost every instant she was in her costume…

So trying to be something else as well as mentor would get in the way, she told herself.

She’d just have to hold off, or more likely try to ignore it. She was sure people dealt with crushes they couldn’t act on all the time, this wasn’t really any different.

Kara took a deep breath, the cool air filling her lungs, before diving back down. Nia would be expecting her soon, she didn’t want to let this get in the way of training.

The last thing she wanted was for it to get in the way of anything.

Nia ought to be waiting on the roof, so head down to there, and…

Kara faltered, coming to a stop as she reached it. Nia was waiting, looking up with her usual enthusiasm.

She wore possibly the puffiest jacket Kara had ever seen, white and soft and done up tight, her face only just peering out of a fluffy hood. Even her chin was caught up inside.

She waved with a mitten-clad hand excitedly. Kara blinked.

Ok. Possibly the cutest sight Kara had ever seen, and that was including Streaky. Kara swallowed.

“Wanted to be warmer this time,” Nia said chirpily.

She gave her scarf a last flick, looping it around her neck a last time, turning into what could best be described as a cuddly burrito.

“That’s- yeah, smart,” Kara said.

Be smooth, be smooth. She put her hands on her hips, trying to seem as though she wanted to do something other than flail.

Ok, sure, plenty of people must have dealt with crushes before, but they weren’t falling for someone like Nia!

* * *

Someone was knocking at her door. Kara stumbled, still slightly woozy.

Somehow it was refreshing to deal with a good old fashioned power-hungry villain. A supercharged suit of armour, energy weapons… She’d managed to take them down; once their armour was destroyed they didn’t have much to set them apart from a typical human.

The problem was getting the power to do so. Kara took a deep breath; it’d been a while since her last solar flare, getting used to being without her powers for a bit was always tricky.

There was still knocking. Kara hurried over; ok, she’d regained her balance, that was good.

She looked at the peephole for a moment. How did that even work anyway? Did she have to push it, or… ugh, she missed x-ray vision.

Instead of wasting time on that, she opened the door.

“Nia?” Kara said.

Her friend was standing there, two rather full bags under her arms. Kara hesitated.

“Are you ok?” Nia said. “I saw… honestly the dream was confusing, it always is, but this one was… it looked like you needed a visitor. Came as soon as I could.”

“Right, yeah,” Kara said. She hesitated. “I just got back. Haven’t had time to call anyone.”

“Oh! Am I being too much?” Nia said. The bags rustled as she slumped a little. “Sorry. I panicked.”

“No, no, it’s ok!” Kara said. She hesitated. “What’s in those?”

Nia grinned.

“Comfort food,” she said. “Thought you’d need it, ice cream, cocoa, potstickers-”

“Oh, come in right now!” Kara said excitedly. “Yes!”

Nia was pulled over the threshold, Kara helping her with one of the bags. She kicked the door shut behind her as they moved over to the sofa.

It was rather impressive how quickly Kara lounged back and located the potstickers, even without superpowers. Nia couldn’t quite help but giggle as she joined her on the sofa.

“Fo whu rid oo fee?” Kara said.

“Uh…” Nia said. Kara gulped down a mouthful.

“So what did you see?” Kara said.

“Oh!” Nia said. “Honestly, it wasn’t all clear, it was a lot of metaphor. I saw you, I saw a bright light, but afterwards you… you seemed grey, and you weren’t flying any more. I got scared.”

“You’ll never hear me complain about panic-buying food,” Kara said. She snatched up something else, then paused and offered a non-potsticker to Nia.

“What happened?” Nia said. “If it happened yet. Unless you just spill grey paint on yourself or something, that wouldn’t surprise me either.”

“I kinda lost my powers,” Kara said.

“What?!” Nia said. “Are you ok? Is it permanent? Are-”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Kara said. “Well. Mostly. Not the first time, lasts about 24 hours, but I’ll be ok.” 

Nia breathed a sigh of relief. The, rather suddenly, faltered.

“Wait, you mean there won’t be a Supergirl for a day?” Nia said.

“It doesn’t need to all be on Dreamer’s shoulders,” Kara said. “Not this soon, not if you don’t want it to be. I’m not asking-”

“You don’t have to,” Nia said. She hesitated. “No one ever asks, we just show up. It just… caught me by surprise. Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Should be,” Kara said. “Worst part is the sniffles.”

“And you’ll be back to full in a day?” Nia said. “You’ll be ok?”

“Yep,” Kara said. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“It’s… much nicer going out with you.”

“Yeah,” Kara said, smiling softly. “To all of that. Are you sure you want to do it alone?”

“I have to,” Nia said. “For people to- Wait, unless you don’t think I’m ready-”

“I think you’ll be amazing,” Kara said. “But I don’t want you to feel like you have to. There’s nothing wrong with taking a day off; eating all of this is going to be a little trickier without powers. I mean, I’m gonna, but I wouldn’t say no to some dreamy help.”

Nia chuckled.

“Can we do both?” Nia said.

“Both?” Kara said. She grinned. “Sounds good.”


	3. Being

Dreamer stood alone. Nia just about kept her breathing under control.  She’d been out as a hero before, but usually with Kara at her back, or standing beside her; who didn’t feel safer knowing they had Supergirl watching over them?

Going after every little problem wasn’t an option, particularly for her, but she wanted to still do something.

Even if frantically running down the street towards a report of a bank robbery didn’t have quite the same sense of drama to it as being flown in by Supergirl.

She panted, jogging down the sidewalk, adjusting her mask. Left here, and right…

She turned the corner to see a car just speeding off, taking a couple of shots out the window.

No! A slight groan escaped her lips, and she focused, trying to send a blast of energy out through her gloves. She scorched the road, just missing the tyres.

Urgh, had to work on that. Nia hesitated, watching as the car sped around a corner.

No, no, she couldn’t fail on her first day. She couldn’t-

Deep breath. It had driven off, and she wasn’t as fast as Kara, and really wasn’t prepared for any kind of high speed chase even if she could, so forget all that. Work with what she had.

“Aren’t you going to go after them?” a guard hurried out of the bank. Nia exhaled.

“Give me a second,” Nia said.

She adjusted her posture, getting more comfortable.  She’d learnt to centre herself, to tune into her dreams even when awake rather than just hoping.

She couldn’t chase them down, but she didn’t need to. They probably wouldn’t be hurrying back to their hide-out, they’d want to be sure they lost any pursuers first, probably switch to a less identifiable vehicle…

It was hard to tell how much of that was her conclusions, and how much was her powers talking. Either way, it meant chasing them down wasn’t necessary, so long as she knew where they’d be.

Smiling, Nia opened her eyes and took off in the opposite direction. The guard stared after her, bewildered.

Down that street, up that one, take the second left… in her mind’s eye she played out what she assumed would be the robbers’ path. Pass on the cash to a less conspicuous car that didn’t have details told to the police, keep driving, act casual, come down here and…

Nia waved to a passer-by. She tried to copy Kara’s confident, hands-on-hips pose as she waited. She belonged here, she knew what she was doing, she was a hero. She-

She had really better not be wrong about this. She still wasn’t great at interpreting visions.

A car drove down the street.  That one she knew! Not the one from the bank, but one she’d seen in her vision. Perfect.

Still by the side, of the road, Nia focused and shot out energy from her hands, tyres quickly giving way; the car screeched to a halt.

“Hey,” Nia said. No, wait, be scarier. “You there! You know what happens to scum like-” too much, too much, uh, “You’re going away for-” what was the typical prison sentence for bank thieves anyway? “A while.”

Ok. Needed work.

The bank robbers started to slip out the car; she blasted a gun out of one’s hands, and the rest promptly raised their arms.

Suitcases brimming with cash were visible on the back seat. Nia grinned to herself, keeping her hands raised to stop them fleeing before the police came to take them in.

Well, she’d caught the bad guys. That was the priority.

Idly she glanced around the street; huh, she hadn’t been to this corner of the city before. Ooh! A coffee shop; her eyes caught on that for a moment. Looked like a nice place.

No, Nia, focus. She took a deep breath, hoping her giddy grin looked suitably heroic.

* * *

“That was awesome!” Kara said, throwing her arms around Nia the moment she walked into Kara’s apartment.

“You really think so?” Nia said.

She hadn’t stopped smiling since the robbery. A few people she’d walked past had looked at her like she was mad, but she hadn’t cared.

She’d done it! To think she’d been reluctant to get started, now she was buzzing from the fact she’d managed to go out and be a hero, that she’d helped people as Dreamer.

“Mm hmm,” Kara said. She stepped back, her grin almost a mirror of Nia’s own. “You were amazing!”

“I didn’t know if I could,” Nia said. “Then in the moment I just… did.”

“I heard,” Kara said. “I was keeping tabs, even if I couldn’t be there in person. You know you have fans already.”

“I do?” Nia said. “I don’t know if that’s scary or cool.”

“A bit of both, trust me,” Kara said. “But you deserve them.”

“R-right,” Nia said. She opened her mouth, and her words caught in her throat.

Damn it, just ask, she couldn’t keep pining. Maybe it was a sudden burst of confidence, more likely she was still riding the adrenaline of her heroics.

All she knew was that she couldn’t stop thinking about Kara smiling at her, about that little place she’d seen where she’d stopped the robbers getting away, and at that moment it felt like she could do anything.

“I saw a nice-looking coffee place when I was wrapping it up,” Nia said. “Do you want to go there? With me? Like, together?”

And then she squeaked, not quite able to believe she’d done that.

“Sure!” Kara said.

“R-really?” Nia said.

“Of course,” Kara said. “You were great, why wouldn’t I? Feels worth celebrating.”

Nia’s smile didn’t feel like it was going to fade any time soon. To think, _before_ it had felt like anything was possible. Now it seemed like if she stood up too much she’d bump her head on the Sun.

* * *

It was a cosy little place. Not the grandest, nor perhaps the most romantic, but Nia had to admit it still seemed like a good place for their first date.

It meant something to both of them; it was where she’d first gone solo as Dreamer, and for Kara it was a sign that she was an incredible teacher. Plus, well, Nia was pretty sure any date with Kara would be perfect.

A few minimalist decorations on the wall, simple looking chairs by fairly secluded tables. Then again it wasn’t the place itself that was making it stand out.

Instead, it was a dozen small things that elevated it.

There were the memories Nia had of the street outside that still made her reel slightly, Kara’s beaming expression as soon as she saw the snacks for sale, the sound of gentle music carrying into the building…

“I never thanked you properly,” Nia said. “For training me, and for helping, even when I took so long to decide I wanted to do this.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Kara said.

“I do,” Nia said. “It took me forever to start and you were still there.”

“Took me a while too,” Kara said. “I was on Earth for years before…. Ooh!”

Kara fell silent as one of the café staff walked closer. It was hard to tell whether she was being careful about talking about being Supergirl, or just distracted by a muffin.

Nia muffled a giggle on a biscuit. How was she this lucky?

“It wasn’t until Alex was in danger that I used my powers,” Kara said. “I waited all that time before that keeping them secret, just doing small things. It was a while before I became Supergirl. And you’re doing better than I was in the early days.”

“Because I have your help,” Nia said.

“Or because- ow, ow!” Kara began, interrupting herself with a sip of her latte.

She put the drink down, sticking her tongue out for a moment as if to glare at it. Carefully she drew her tongue back in. Apparently her powers still hadn’t come back.

“Are you ok?” Nia said.

“Burned my tongue,” Kara said. “How does everyone deal with that happening?”

“Normally we wait a bit before gulping down a hot drink,” Nia said.

“Remind me that next time I solar flare,” Kara said, lisping slightly.

Nia hesitated.

“There’ll be a next time?” Nia said.

“Maybe,” Kara said. “Usually doesn’t happen too often, but if it does… we know you can handle it, if you want to.”

“It’s just… nicer, with you,” Nia said.

“Yeah,” Kara said. She smiled. “It is, with you there too.”

Nia breathed a long sigh of relief.

Even with Kara saying yes, it had been hard not to worry about this. She didn’t have the best track record when it came to dates, and it always felt like she was about to mess it up; it was hard not to be a bit nervous.

Though somehow she’d stopped seeing Supergirl. The idea of being out with someone with that S on her chest was dizzying, but this wasn’t that, this was just Kara.

She didn’t feel intimidated by Kara. She just felt… glad.

They ate, they talked, they laughed, they smiled. They split the bill, and still wanted to linger.

“So,” Nia said.

She hesitated. Slowly, reluctantly, she stood. Kara mirrored the motion. She took a slow step around the table, nearing Nia.

“So,” Kara echoed.

Nia took a deep breath. She might not be riding quite as high on adrenaline, but the risks she’d taken so far today had paid off and how else were you meant to end a date?

With Kara that close she couldn’t think of anything else.

Summoning up all her courage, Nia leant forward and let her lips brush Kara’s. It lasted maybe a second before Kara stiffened; hastily Nia stepped back.

“Sorry, sorry, was that-” Nia began.

“N-no,” Kara said. “Just. Surprised me. I wasn’t expecting…”

“Don’t dates usually end with-”

“Date?” Kara said.

There was a pause. Nia squeaked. Oh god seriously, again? Did Kara not realise that this was a date?! Why did this keep happening to her?

Kara’s eyes suddenly went wide with understanding.

“This was a date!” Kara said.

“Uh…”

“I thought it was just a celebration,” Kara said. “Oh! Right. Date. That makes more sense.”

Nia felt a sudden surge of panic. So much for risks turning out well, Kara hadn’t thought she’d been anything more than friendly. She opened her mouth to speak, hoping she could find the words, when Kara quickly continued.

“Well we’ve got to do this again,” Kara said. She pouted. “I need to get the proper experience next time.”

“You want a next time?” Nia said. The panic started to subside.

“If you do!” Kara said.

“Yes!” Nia said. “Definitely yes!”

“Ok,” Kara said. She cracked a smile. “Can we have a repeat of that kiss too?”


End file.
